Ingredients

• 4 x 150-200g/5½-7oz pork chops
• 5 litres/9 pints water
• 1kg/2lb 4oz fine salt
• 10 cloves
• 5 bay leaves
• olive oil
• for frying
• 1 x 500g/1lb 2oz piece pork collar or shoulder
• all visible fat trimmed
• 1 onion
• diced
• 1 carrot
• diced
• 1 celery stick
• diced
• small handful fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot
• roughly chopped
• ½ onion
• roughly chopped
• 2 celery sticks
• roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 250g/9oz pork trimmings
• fat removed
• 25g/1oz fresh thyme
• 25g/1oz fresh sage
• ½ x 75cl bottle dry white wine
• 1 litre/1¾ pints veal stock
• 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock
• 2 tsp Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar
• 2 handfuls fresh sage leaves.
• sunflower oil
• for deep-frying
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 200g/7oz panko breadcrumbs
• 200g/7oz pine nuts
• pork crackling
• to serve
• optional

Directions

• For the brine
• put all ingredients in a large pan and bring to the boil until the salt has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
• Add the pork collar to the brine
• cover and chill for 4 hours. Remove the collar but retain the brine. Wash the collar under cold running water for 30 minutes
• then dry well. Preheat to oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2.
• Put an ovenproof casserole pan on the heat. Add the oil and once hot add the pork collar and brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to a board and leave the pan to heat up again. Add the vegetables and herbs and fry for 2-3 minutes
• or until coloured. Return the pork to the pan and pour in the chicken stock. Bake for 2-3 hours
• or until cooked through.
• Meanwhile
• add the pork chops to the retained brine
• cover and chill for 2 hours. Wash the chops under cold running water for 30 minutes
• then dry well and set aside.
• For the pork sauce
• heat half the oil in a very large heavy-based pan. Add the onion
• garlic
• celery and carrots and fry
• stirring
• until caramelised. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the pork trimmings until coloured on all sides. Transfer to another plate.
• Deglaze the pan with the wine
• scraping all the residue from the bottom of the pan. Return the vegetables and pork trimmings to the pan
• then add the stocks
• thyme and sage. Bring to the boil
• then simmer for 1 hour
• skimming regularly. Strain the stock into a clean pan and simmer until reduced. When it has a sauce-like consistency
• strain it through muslin.
• For the sage and pine nut crumb
• preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C. Deep fry the sage leaves in the sunflower oil
• then drain well on kitchen paper. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add the breadcrumbs and pine nuts and fry
• stirring
• until golden. Set aside. When the sage leaves are cool
• roughly chop them and add to the pine nut mixture. Season with salt.
• To serve
• preheat a large griddle pan. Oil the pork chops
• then cook for 3-6 minutes on each side
• until cooked. This will depend on the size of your chops.
• Cut the pork collar into portions and chargrill on all sides for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a pan and glaze with the pork sauce. Finish with the Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar.
• Put the pork chop and collar onto a serving plate and drizzle with the sauce. Top with the pine nut crumbs and serve with the pork crackling.